Archaeology Notes

Event ID 745478

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/745478

NJ76SW 17.00 centred 70377 64682

Harbour [NAT] (at NJ 7037 6468)

OS (GIS) AIB, May 2006.

NJ76SW 17.01 NJ 70267 64680 Beacon

NJ76SW 17.02 NJ 70299 64613 to NJ c. 70245 64511 West Pier

NJ76SW 17.03 NJ 70333 64584 West Harbour [Stilling basin]

NJ76SW 17.04 NJ 70368 64616 Jetty

NJ76SW 17.05 NJ 70399 64673 Quay

NJ76SW 17.06 NJ 70265 64681 to NJ c. 70494 64907 Pier

NJ76SW 17.07 NJ 70387 64836 Princess Royal Basin

NJ76SW 17.08 NJ 70409 64821 Princess Royal Basin, Quay

For (adjacent and associated) Fish Market (NJ 70387 64746), see NJ76SW 56.

Formerly entered at cited location NJ 703 646.

(Location cited as NJ 704 646). Macduff Harbour. Rebuilt c. 1900. An irregular-shaped basin, formed by a long curved pier and a short pier, both rubble-built, and split up by rubble and concrete piers. A slipway at the E end was added in 1919.

J R Hume 1977.

At the end of the 17th century, the navigational hazards of the Deveron estuary were evidently turning the attention of the Banff burgesses towards the fishing-village of Downe, on the E side of Banff Bay and about a mile distant from the burgh, as in 1698 the Convention of Royal Burghs authorised the grant of 500 marks to Banff 'towrads the building of a new pier at the town of Downe, which they are to purchase'. No action seems to have followed, as in 1732 Downe still consisted of no more than 'a few fisher houses' and Roy's map of 1747-55 shows no buildings on the site; but in 1783 the Earl of Fife began the construction of a harbour, devising the name of Macduff for the new settlement from his family's name of Duff. Another record, of 1847, dates the beginning of construction to 1820, not to 1783; but this cannot be right as the Statistical Account further states that work on the harbour was going on at the timw of writing (1791), and that ten vessels and six fishing-boats were already owned in the place. An outer harbour was attempted about 1822, but this was destroyed by a storm although its remains served as a breakwater for the inner works; and in 1842 the harbour was described as 'very commodious' and as possessing some import and export trade. The report of 1847 further states that, although the harbour had a westerly aspect, it still suffered a 'heavy run of sea'; that the depth of water was only 11 to 14 ft (3.4 to 4.3m) at high springs, and that a low-tide harbour was much needed. The building of a breakwater giving a depth of 22 ft (6.7m) at low springs was recommended to this end. The three existing basins no doubt represent enlargements made in 1877 and later.

A Graham 1979.

Air photographs: AAS/85/9/S4/4-5, AAS/97/12/G26/18-19 and AAS/97/12/CT.

NMRS, MS/712/29 and MS/712/36.